Spicy, Savory Chicken Thighs; the dust from HELL

My local supermarket had cranberries yesterday.

They looked a little long in the tooth – as if they’d been shipped from store to store, frantically looking for some one to buy them before they went totally toes-up.

I declined.

On principle, really.

I mean, if you can’t get them on the shelves in a timely manner….

Besides, I’m done with the holidays, and cranberries are definitely ‘holiday’ to me.

I had to take down all the Christmas decorations a bit early this year.  Mon mari wanted to sand the seams on the sheet rock walls.

If you have ever lived in a house under construction, you will know exactly what I mean.

If you haven’t had the pleasure…..

Sheet rock dust (actually, the dust from sanding the compound that covers the tape that covers the seams) is very, very, very fine.  It gets everywhere and there is absolutely nothing in the world one can do to contain it. One can mitigate the spread; one cannot contain it.

It goes under doors, through keyholes, bypasses the plastic carefully laid over whatever, seeps into cracks, gets behind books….. You get the picture.

When one disturbs it the dust is so light it floats for weeks before settling again.

The conundrum comes when it’s time to clean up the mess.

Does one hoover first so that walking around isn’t kicking up more dust onto the stuff one just cleaned?  And knowing full well that half the dust on the shelves will end up on the floor no matter how careful one is?

Or does one dust first, knowing that when one hoovers half the dust will go right through the 76 filters specially installed on the vacuum to prevent such a thing?

Either way, half the dust (or would that be half to the 2nd power……) will remain in a fine coating covering everything.

The answer (and you didn’t think I knew) is to hoover, then wet-mop whatever surfaces it’s possible to mop, then dust with damp rags.

THEN – repeat those steps a dozen or so times…..

Then, and only then, will you have gotten rid of enough sheet rock dust that you’ll be able to walk through the house without sneezing.

Oh, almost forgot…. Must remember to shave the puppies.

As a reward:

Spicy, Savory Chicken Thighs

4 chicken thighs
2oz (60gr) mushrooms
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tbs paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tbs flour
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup (4oz, 125gr) chicken stock
1/4 cup (2oz, 60gr) red wine vinegar
1 tbs tomato paste 
2 tsp cornstarch (corn flour, maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water

Roughly chop onion. Mince garlic. Trim and chop mushrooms.  Combine flour, paprika and cumin in a plastic food bag.  Add chicken thighs and shake well to coat.
Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Move to the side.  Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and any remaining paprika mixture.  Sauté 5 minutes. Add stock, vinegar, tomato paste and stir to combine.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. 
To finish: Remove thighs to a small platter. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Increase heat under sauce, add cornstarch and stir until thickened and clear. Spoon sauce over chicken thighs and serve.

Remember to keep the dust out…..